A Guide to Firewall Security

There are a number of different devices, pieces of software, and pieces of hardware available for you to use that will improve the overall efficiency and security of your business. The ones that are most effective for you are going to vary depending on the size of your business and the area that you operate within. The below article is going to discuss firewall security, what it is and what it can do. 

What is the Definition of a Firewall? 

A firewall is a piece of network security. It works by monitoring traffic that is incoming and outgoing and then will act to either permit or block different packets of data depending on the parameters that have been set by the firewall. These parameters can be made to only grant permission to certain people or to specifically deny permission to certain people. Be sure to check out WatchGuard firewall for the full range of different security available. 

How Does a Firewall Work? 

Firewalls work by constantly analyzing the traffic that goes into and comes out of a network while working within some rules that have been pre-established. By using these rules, the firewall will filter traffic coming from sources that appear to be unsecured, suspicious, or unauthorized and then block their access to prevent attacks on the network. All of the work takes place at the computer’s entry point (also referred to as its port), which is where information is initially exchanged with external devices. 

The best way to think of your computer will be to think of it as a house, and then the different ports within are specific rooms in the house. Only certain people are initially going to be allowed within the house in the first place, and even once inside, only other certain people are going to be allowed to go in some rooms. The owner will more than likely be allowed to go inside any room, whereas the children and guests are only going to be allowed to go in certain rooms where they have been given permission. 

Are There Different Types of Firewalls? 

As technology advances, our choice of how to use certain pieces of tech also advances. This is reflected in the fact that there are more than one firewalls available, each of which has different pros and cons, and the best one for you to choose from is going to vary depending on the size of your business, what you do, and the industry that you operate within. Different firewalls include: 

• Packet-filtering firewalls 
• Next-generation firewalls 
• Network address translation firewalls 
• Proxy firewalls 
• Stateful multilayer inspection firewalls 

Conclusion

There are a lot of different pieces of both software and hardware available to you in the modern-day that can keep you and your business safe online. One of these pieces of technology is the firewall. Firewalls can be used to monitor a network and, as such, keep certain people (hackers and cybercriminals) out. There are a number of different versions available depending on your business and industry.